Technology to beat teacher shortage

Britain's first "federation" of privately-managed state schools was officially launched today and said it will use the latest technology to beat teacher shortages.

Non-profit making firm 3E Enterprises, a subsidiary of Kingshurst City Technology College in Birmingham, has set up a state-of-the-art video conferencing and Internet system which will eventually link up to 20 schools.

If a teacher is off sick or a post unfilled at one school, pupils will still be able to do their lessons by tuning into classes in another school in the group.

The company said the system will also allow the best teachers to offer master classes to pupils in other schools.

And it will give children the chance to study minority subjects, such as Japanese, which their school would not otherwise have the resources to offer.

There will also be an academy for teachers where they can be seconded to produce teaching aids such as lesson plans for use by other schools in the federation.

That is already being Thomas Telford City Technology College in Telford, Shropshire, last year's top-performing state school.

As well as Kingshurst CTC, 3Es also manages Kings College in Guildford, a former failing state school.

Kings International College in Camberley, Surrey, is due to open in September.

The Government's national plan for secondary schools unveiled last month showed 3Es influenced ministers' thinking on the future of comprehensives.

In the Green Paper, it said it would enable private, voluntary or successful state schools to help run weak or failing schools in a way that would "further develop the model" put forward by 3Es.

Federation chief executive Valerie Bragg said: "We believe that working as a federation we will be able to answer more easily many of the issues which have dogged the teaching profession for many years.

"Not only does the federation show how schools can work collaboratively in the interests of the students but is witness to the key role that businesses can play as partners in developing the curriculum and raising standards and preparing young people to play their part in developing the economy of this country."

Any surplus 3Es makes is ploughed back into Kingshurst for further investing in the school, management consultant Stanley Goodchild said.